Lubricator



(No Model.)

J. WOOD.

LUBRIUATOE.

No. 446,049. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

FIG-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH "WOOD, OF RED BANK, NEW JERSEY.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,049, dated February10, 1891.

Application filed May 13, 1890. Serial No. 351,596. (No model.)

To rz/ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH \VOOD, residing at Red Bank,in the county ofMonmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Lubricators, which 1nvention is fully set forth in thefollowing specification.

My invention has for its object to supply to the journal-bearing of theaxle of a railway-car or the shafting of machinery a continuous andregular supply of oil or lubricant. It is especially adapted to preventhot box on an engine or car.

The method in which I prefer to carry out my invention is as follows: Iuse a springcoil which so coils around itself horizontally at the bottomas to form a sufficiently firm support. The other end of this springcoils upward to such an extent as may be necessary in accordance withthe location of the oil-chamber and the journal or shaft to belubricated. To the upper portion of this spring-is attached a flatrectangular piece of wood. If this is intended to be inserted in thejournal-box of a car or engine, itshould be made somewhat smaller thanthe section of the journal-box in which it is designed to be inclosed,so as to allow of a slight play. Thus in a journal-box six inches byeight inches a wooden top five inches by six inches and half an inchthick (more or less) will be suflicient. Over this wooden top andfastened thereto I place an ordinary thick cotton wick, the length ofwhich should be suiiicient to reach down upon either side into the oilchamber. This cotton wick should be nailed or otherwise firmly attachedto the wooden top, preferably at the sides thereof, so that the topsurface of the wick should lie smooth upon the wooden top, and so thatthe nailsor other means of attaching the same to the wooden top shouldnot be upon the top surface of the cotton wick. At right angles to thiswick I place another wick over the first, whose ends hang down the othertwo sides of the wooden top, and it should be of a length sufficient toreach into the oil-receptacle below. This wick should be fastened in thesame manner as the other, and should likewise present a smooth evensurface upon its top. Over this second wick I place a covering ofwire-gauze, which should preferably besomewhat narrower than the secondwick, and the second wick should preferably be of a width slightlynarrower than the wooden top, so as to leave, say, half an inch uponeither side. The first-mentioned wick should preferably be not quite aswide as the wooden top, but very nearly so. The wire-gauze is itself aconductor of oil. It also serves to protect the wick. The wire-gauze andthe top wick should preferably be so arranged that their length shouldrun parallel to the axle or shaft to which the oil is to be applied.This device should then be placed in such a position that by force ofthe spring it will at all times gently press against the shaft or axlewhile the same is revolving. It should be placed immediately underneaththe journal'bearing.

The accompanying drawings will serve to illustrate my invention.

Figure I is a section of thelubricator lengthwise of a car-axle, inconnection with which it is illustrated; and Fig. II is a cross-sectionof the same.

A represents a car-axle, and B is the journal-looX, which contains asuitable quantity of oil in a chamber beneath the axle.

D represents a spiral spring having a flat coil at the bottom, whichrests upon the bottom of chamber B. The spring D supports a fiat blockor piece of ,wood E, on which is placed a broad wick F, whose ends hangover the board and dip into the oil. Above and at right angles to thiswick is a second wick G, whose ends likewise hang down into the oil, andupon wick G is a rectangular strip H, of wire gauze or netting, whichcomes into contact with the axle A and is caused to press gently againstthe same by the action of spring D.

It will of course be understood that the illustration is given only asan example of a convenient way in which the invention may be applied,and that the improved lnbricator may be used in connection with shaftsin various kinds of machinery, the details being modified as may berequired.

It will be found that by means of this device a constant, free, andregular supply of oil will be led to the axle or shaft, and that neitherthe gauze northe wick-surface will become glazed or clotted, which isone of the principal difficulties which this device is designed toavoid.

I am aware that the use of a spring or spiral coil for such a purpose asthis is old. I am also aware that a sponge or a mass of cotton or wastepressed against the axle or shaft by a spiral coil or spring has beenused as a lubrlcating device. I am also aware of Letters Patent No.103,617, granted to \Villiam B. Howe on the 31st day of May,18'70; butin none of these is there the smooth flat surface of a cotton wickfirmly held in a horizontal position and smooth and even throughout allthat portion of its length which comes in contact with the axle or shaftto be lubricated; nor is there shown a wire-gauze or anything equivalentthereto, such as has been heretofore described.

I am aware also that a lubricator composed of hair netting or fine clothstuffed with fibrous material has been heretofore devised, and that ithas been proposed to use metal pad-holders slightly concave andsupported on springs. The former device would not be serviceable, as itwould quickly cake on the surface, causing an imperfect, irregular, andunreliable supply of oil. It is also an important feature of myinvention that the sup port is a flat strip of wood or equivalentmaterial, which itself is a good conductor of oil, as this device isfound to assist materially in producing regularity of action and economyof oil.

I prefer the exact arrangement here described; but obviously manyalterations and changes could be made without departing from the spiritof my invention. Among the advantages of the exact structure that I havedescribed are the following: In case the wiregauze should be wornthrough, the cotton is itself a powerful conductor of oil, and woulditself serve as a lubricant. In case the wick or wicks should be wornthrough, the wood is also a good conductor of oil, so that in the eventof any unexpected destruction of the wire, or even of both the wire andthe wicks, the device would still perform its work for some time.

The axle or shaft'in its rapid revolution creates a partial vacuum, andfor this reason and by reason of its rapid motion performs, as it were,the function of a pump in drawing the oil upward. r

The wire-gauze can be omitted, or any wellknown substitute thereformight be used,

'such as a perforated metal sheet. A single wick alone or more than twowicks can be used, or the method of fastening the wicks can be variedwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

In place of resting upon the horizontal coil or coils of the spring, thespring may be attached to a flat board, upon which it is supported, or.the spring may be attached to the bottom or side of the box.

Numerous other changes both of material and of construction mightreadily be made by one skilled in the art.

I believe that the use of a wire-gauze or perforated sheet metal and theuse of a Hat board of Wood or its equivalent in a lubricator are bothbroadly new.

What I claim,'and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a shaft having a receptacle beneath the bearingfor containing oil, of'a lubricating device in said receptacle,comprising one or more wicks of cotton or other suitable materialfastened to a flat sup port of a material such as wood, which is a goodconductor of oil, so asto present a flat, smooth, and even surface tothe shaft or axle to be lubricated, and held against the axle by thepressure of a spring or spiral coil or other suitable means,substantially as described.

2. A lubricating device adapted to be placed in an oil-receptaclebeneath the journal-bearing of a shaft, said device comprising, incombination, the following elements: a flat support, one or more wickssecured thereon so as to present an even flat surface on top of thesupport, a sheet of wire-gauze or perforated sheet metal placed over thewick or wicks, and a spring or similar means for pressing the lubricatoragainst the shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' JOSEPH woon.

Witnesses:

W. H. L. LEE, FREDERICK GELLER.

